do one's duty
Idioms-
Do one's tasks or what is expected of one. For example, He was only doing his duty when he made the children finish their work . [Early 1500s]
-
Defecate or urinate, as in Please keep the dog outdoors until he does his duty . This euphemism for attending to such needs is heard less often today. [1930s]
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"I felt it was my duty to come. I certainly felt it would be an unpleasant experience, but that's not a good enough reason not to do one's duty."
From BBC • Dec. 5, 2013
It's easy to do one's duty when one doesn't care.
From Caesar's Wife A comedy in three acts by Maugham, W. Somerset (William Somerset)
However, he was doing what he knew to be right, and, as he ruefully reminded himself, it was seldom pleasant to do one’s duty.
From The Night Riders A Romance of Early Montana by Cullum, Ridgwell
One has come to a point when death seems very inconsiderable and only failure to do one's duty is an utter loss.
From Carry On Letters in War-Time by Dawson, Coningsby
“When one has boys, one must do one’s duty by them; but it was confoundedly hard, by Jove!”
From Not Like Other Girls by Carey, Rosa Nouchette
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
